The present invention relates to a centering device for centering adjacent helical springs, and more particularly to a centering device for a spring core mounting machine.
Spring core mounting machines are used to construct the inner spring cores for inner spring mattresses and spring supports for mattresses. These spring cores have a large number of springs of helical configuration which are mounted side by side, with the terminal windings of the springs at the upper and lower ends thereof being connected, usually by threading a small helical connecting spring around portions of two adjacent ones of the helical support springs.
A spring core mounting machine for making spring cores of the type here in question is described in German Patent Number 1,552,149 and in the thereto corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 3,516,451. This machine uses support springs which do not have the bent-out portions in their terminal convolutions. In many instances, the helical support springs which are used to make up the spring core have in their terminal windings two diametrically oppositely located portions at which they are bent out, with these portions extending approximately in a straight line and parallel to one another. Helical springs with such bent out portions or zones are already known as "offset springs".
The centering device according to the present invention is intended to be used with this type of machine, i.e. to make it possible to use in this type of machine the so called offset springs having the bent-out portions in their terminal convolutions. To be able to use this type of spring in this type of machine, it is necessary to center the individual springs on insertion thereof into the associated pair of clamping jaws provided for holding the springs, i.e. to so orient these springs that the bent-out portions of the terminal convolutions of adjacent springs which are to be connected with one another are located precisely opposite one another and in abutment or almost in abutment.